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 "A Vinod Kumar")
 "India's missile defence was driven to call Pakistan's nuclear bluff — but it has always aimed higher, building a holistic shield against both Pakistani and Chinese missile threats (Imaging: Ajaya Mohanty)")
India’s missile defence was driven to call Pakistan’s nuclear bluff — but it has always aimed higher, building a holistic shield against both Pakistani and Chinese missile threats (Imaging: Ajaya Mohanty)
On March 27, 2019, just days after the Election Commission of India announced the general election schedule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation in the late afternoon to announce Mission Shakti — a successful anti-satellite (ASAT) test in which a missile interceptor destroyed a dysfunctional satellite. I was among the very few voices then who publicly questioned the timing and purpose of the test. Through an FAQ dossier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) justified the test as a measure to “safeguard our space assets”, even though the ASAT was not a defensive system and could only serve as
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A Vinod Kumar
A Vinod Kumar is editor-in-chief of The Polity, and earlier worked with the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
 "A Vinod Kumar")
First Published: Oct 06 2025 | 2:14 PM IST
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